Midnight, Before Dawn
Title: Midnight, Before Dawn
Fandom: 24
Characters: Mark Holden, Brittany House, Jake Hannigan
Pairing: implied Brittany/Jake and past possible Brittany/Mark
Prompt: Serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of making fortunate accidental discoveries.
Word Count: 710
Rating: PG
Summary: Mark is smart enough to see some things that Brittany can see, and some things that she can't.
Author's Notes: Takes place during Princeton's 2006 Midnight Madness.
The speech worked too well, Mark Holden thinks, leaning against the nearest wall in the Princeton bar. Ever conscientious of the concealed gun at his hip and the surroundings in which he's working. Which, at this present moment, would be the aftermath of that great college tradition known as Midnight Madness.
It's some odd, fucked-up hour of the morning, and he's watching the Princeton men's basketball team cram in a late-night snack (or potentially early breakfast) after their first official practice. The only thing he thinks is more insane than starting basketball practice at midnight is what else he's seeing. Sitting at one of the tables, apart from the college kids drinking more Red Bull than is healthy, is one of his oldest acquaintances and his current protectee, Brittany House. The man sitting next to her isn't her husband, but her former colleague and resident jackass, Jake Hannigan.
Who is actually seeming happy, which is disturbing in and of itself.
Watching the two of them talk quietly between themselves, Mark knows that the speech he gave Brittany upon arrival in New Jersey worked too well. He'd watched her heart break as he'd told her that they couldn't be as close as they had always been. That now she was nothing more than his protectee. That had been a shock to her, but he had always told himself that she would understand and get over it. She's gotten over it too well, or maybe that's just him realizing that he's no longer one of those people who can make her smile like that.
Not that he can't, just that he won't ever allow himself to. He's been too busy living in her house, shadowing her everywhere she goes, on the lookout for anybody who might raise objection to a twenty-two-year-old woman working with the men's basketball team. He knows -- he hopes -- it's all just nerves and fear, but in the event that anyone raises a hand against her, Mark will be there. Being there means taking certain precautions. Like distancing himself from one of the rare people he let get close to him. There aren't many others.
And on the other side, there's Jake Hannigan. Mark has checked him out, and he doesn't like him. He knows about the man's temper and his difficult past, and every time they've had a conversation, he's wanted to lay the former Air Force officer out. But he's also been Brittany's biggest supporter. He knows from what she's told him that Jake has been preparing her for this night for the last ten months. That he's been at every practice and sitting on her couch drilling her on the playbook. He's an ex-basketball player and he's her one best shot at becoming a bonafide basketball coach. That's about the only reason Mark hasn't hit him yet. Brittany needs him. More important, she wants him there.
He'll respect what she wants. It's not his place to judge. It's also not his world, anymore. He's removed himself from that equation.
"What the hell do you see in him?" he'd asked her once, and as he watches her narrow her eyes at something Jake has said, no doubt a thinly veiled insult, he remembers what she said. He remembers that she'd sighed and shrugged. "He's not much of a guy, Mark...but when it comes down to it, and you can get him alone, and you can earn his trust? On those rare occasions he's one of the best men I've ever seen."
That, Mark can understand. He knows all about having to hide himself from everyone else. That's what he's doing now, learning to hide in the background and pay attention to the threat, while his baby girl can relax and spend time with the people that are her family now. She's grown up, and she's sitting there with somebody else, but she will always be his baby girl. That will never change, even as he watches Jake give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Notes the look in her eyes that's different, somehow. Another fact he files away.
He knows now that the speech worked too well. He wonders, however, watching from his place out of view, when Brittany will realize she married the wrong man.
Fandom: 24
Characters: Mark Holden, Brittany House, Jake Hannigan
Pairing: implied Brittany/Jake and past possible Brittany/Mark
Prompt: Serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of making fortunate accidental discoveries.
Word Count: 710
Rating: PG
Summary: Mark is smart enough to see some things that Brittany can see, and some things that she can't.
Author's Notes: Takes place during Princeton's 2006 Midnight Madness.
The speech worked too well, Mark Holden thinks, leaning against the nearest wall in the Princeton bar. Ever conscientious of the concealed gun at his hip and the surroundings in which he's working. Which, at this present moment, would be the aftermath of that great college tradition known as Midnight Madness.
It's some odd, fucked-up hour of the morning, and he's watching the Princeton men's basketball team cram in a late-night snack (or potentially early breakfast) after their first official practice. The only thing he thinks is more insane than starting basketball practice at midnight is what else he's seeing. Sitting at one of the tables, apart from the college kids drinking more Red Bull than is healthy, is one of his oldest acquaintances and his current protectee, Brittany House. The man sitting next to her isn't her husband, but her former colleague and resident jackass, Jake Hannigan.
Who is actually seeming happy, which is disturbing in and of itself.
Watching the two of them talk quietly between themselves, Mark knows that the speech he gave Brittany upon arrival in New Jersey worked too well. He'd watched her heart break as he'd told her that they couldn't be as close as they had always been. That now she was nothing more than his protectee. That had been a shock to her, but he had always told himself that she would understand and get over it. She's gotten over it too well, or maybe that's just him realizing that he's no longer one of those people who can make her smile like that.
Not that he can't, just that he won't ever allow himself to. He's been too busy living in her house, shadowing her everywhere she goes, on the lookout for anybody who might raise objection to a twenty-two-year-old woman working with the men's basketball team. He knows -- he hopes -- it's all just nerves and fear, but in the event that anyone raises a hand against her, Mark will be there. Being there means taking certain precautions. Like distancing himself from one of the rare people he let get close to him. There aren't many others.
And on the other side, there's Jake Hannigan. Mark has checked him out, and he doesn't like him. He knows about the man's temper and his difficult past, and every time they've had a conversation, he's wanted to lay the former Air Force officer out. But he's also been Brittany's biggest supporter. He knows from what she's told him that Jake has been preparing her for this night for the last ten months. That he's been at every practice and sitting on her couch drilling her on the playbook. He's an ex-basketball player and he's her one best shot at becoming a bonafide basketball coach. That's about the only reason Mark hasn't hit him yet. Brittany needs him. More important, she wants him there.
He'll respect what she wants. It's not his place to judge. It's also not his world, anymore. He's removed himself from that equation.
"What the hell do you see in him?" he'd asked her once, and as he watches her narrow her eyes at something Jake has said, no doubt a thinly veiled insult, he remembers what she said. He remembers that she'd sighed and shrugged. "He's not much of a guy, Mark...but when it comes down to it, and you can get him alone, and you can earn his trust? On those rare occasions he's one of the best men I've ever seen."
That, Mark can understand. He knows all about having to hide himself from everyone else. That's what he's doing now, learning to hide in the background and pay attention to the threat, while his baby girl can relax and spend time with the people that are her family now. She's grown up, and she's sitting there with somebody else, but she will always be his baby girl. That will never change, even as he watches Jake give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Notes the look in her eyes that's different, somehow. Another fact he files away.
He knows now that the speech worked too well. He wonders, however, watching from his place out of view, when Brittany will realize she married the wrong man.